Lindy USB to DVI Adapter

There are some times when it can be useful to have a second computer screen to give extra space on the computer’s desktop.

In order to connect one it’s normally necessary to have a spare monitor port, but if that’s not always available Lindy’s USB to DVI Adapter is a clever way to solve the problem.

The Lindy adapter works in three ways, in the same way as a second screen connected in the normal way: it can mirror your desktop (handy if you’re giving a presentation with the second screen pointed away from you) extend the desktop onto it, or blank the main screen and act as the main monitor. The DVI and VGA connections provided mean that it should work with all modern computer displays.

You will of course need to add the price of a monitor to the price of the adapter if you don’t have a spare already.

The Lindy adapter is suitable for PCs running Windows 2000, XP or Vista (not the 64-bit edition) and is installed using the CD provided, which brings up an installation wizard to guide the user through the setup process. After this initial installation was completed we were prompted to plug the adapter into a USB port and restart the computer, after which it the second screen came alive in the extended-desktop mode.

A blue light on the unit indicates that it is active. A total of six adapters can be attached to your computer if that many screens are needed.

The adapter automatically detected an appropriate resolution for the connected monitor, though if it doesn’t detect the correct one you’ll need to fiddle in the Control Panel.

Performance was very good when dealing with day-to-day tasks such as creation of text documents and spreadsheets and it handled internet video well even in high definition, though it could not play DVDs and struggled when used with a low-end machine close to near the minimum required specifications.

The Lindy USB to DVI Adapter offers great value to those looking for extra desktop space for run-of-the-mill operations, though for intensive functions you may be better off upgrading the computer’s graphics card to one that can cope with a second display by itself.